SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a mine clearing vehicle.
At war or when war menaces, land areas are often mined to prevent or delay the advance of the enemy. Mining is also used as a terror weapon against the civil population.
A military unit advancing over a mined area, tries to reduce losses by clearing passages of mines and then advancing along the passages. A known manner to effect mine clearing is first to localize mines by means of known equipment for mine searching and, thereafter, either to detonate or disarm and neutralize them. Another known way to effect mine clearing is to load the ground by means of a mine clearing vehicle in order to make possible hidden mines to detonate. The ground can be loaded by means of movable lugs, claws or drums thumping against the ground in front of the mine clearing vehicle. Another known solution is to provide a mine clearing vehicle with a horizontal rotary shaft to which is attached sections of chain being hurled against the ground in front of the mine clearing vehicle. Equipment of this kind is, of course, built in order to withstand mine explosions and to protect the driver.
As long as a war situation prevails, mine fields are seldom completely cleared; it is common that areas remain mined. Years after the conflict is over, they may lie fallow. When after a long time it becomes necessary to clear an area of mines, the area is often overgrown with bushes and smaller trees. An area which for many years has been impossible to use for e.g. agriculture because of mines, often remains unused after mine clearing because the area is overgrown. Overgrowth gives reduced passable conditions and makes, moreover, the mine clearing difficult, either the mines are to be searched and localized or detonated by means of a mine clearing vehicle of a kind known in the art. Overgrowth can to a certain degree shield mines from mine clearing vehicle and prevent mines to be detonated.
The object of the invention is to provide a mine clearing vehicle which can neutralize mines, especially in overgrown areas. Also, it is an object that the mine clearing vehicle shall increase the value of use of a mine cleared area through a cultivating effect on the soil and removal of plants in the area concerned.
The objects are achieved through features as defined in the following claims.